Eis Continued The big difference here is that while Burton and Schumacher made movies that were laughable in how hard they tried to maintain a sense of realism, the ’60s Batman realizes how ridiculous the story is and runs with it. The film is filled with the absurd, much of which pokes fun at the superhero genre with all of its implausibility. The horribly ineffective costumes of Batman and Robin, combined with the fact that their voices are no different in or out of costume, makes you wonder why commis- sioner Gordon never figured out who they were. Then there is the ridiculous way the dynamic duo pieces together impossible clues to always determine exactly what the arch criminals are up to. Their amazing devices; the bat-boat, the bat-mobile, bat-shark repellent, bat-molecular dust separator, and the bat-anti-penguin-gas spray are just a sample of the implements used in the duo’s pursuit of justice. Add in classic sideways- filmed shots of them climbing up the side of a building, some diag- onally filmed dialogue, a penguin sub, and some POW!, BIFF'!, KERBLAMMO)! and you’ve got an awesome little piece of satire. That’s right, satire! The point is to remember it’s all for fun. As soon as you decide to sit back and laugh at it, this is one enjoyable flick. It takes all the silliest parts of comic history and tromps them out unashamed for us all to see. It helps us remember that while some comic-book film adaptations can be serious, its important to be able to laugh at the truly hilarious situation of grown men in tights fighting crime. One of the best scenes for this is when Batman has to dis- pose of a bomb, a giant Looney-Tunes style bomb at that, and runs around trying to find a place tc put it. Every time he finds a good place to throw it, someone gets in the way—nuns, a marching band, a couple kissing in a boat, a woman with a baby carriage, and, of course, a flock of baby ducks. Exasperated, Batman says, “Some days you just can’t get rid of a bomb.” Brilliant. So rock on Adam West! We know you love being Batman as much as you love taffy, and you’re a man who loves his taffy. July 13/2005 I pea Chicks with Huge Eyes: The Mystery of Manga Jason Webb, OP Contributor hat the hell is wrong with \X/ manga? Every Wednesday, when I venture out to my neighbourhood comic shop, there’s this shelf past the current issues of The Ultimates and Doom Patrol. Stacks of little volumes, some no bigger than the average Archie Digest, are crammed onto this shelf. This is where the manga is kept, or at least the authentic stuff imported from Japan. I’ve been reading comics off and on since I was six years old, from indie comics to horror comics and even (gasp!) superhero comics. I never bothered to pick up those mysterious books tucked away from the rest of the store’s population. The only tangible excuse I have is my problem with the way manga depicts women. From what I see, those melodramatic and overly boy- crazy manga ladies are drawn with unrealistic physiques. The manga aesthetic, while appealing, has its own quirks that can alienate Western readers. Namely me. In order to get some perspective on this issue, I asked Chris Eng, writer of the Terminal City column, “The G33k,” and one of the most knowledgeable individuals on comics, for some much-needed enlighten- ment. Essentially, my problem with manga stems from the fact that I’m an outsider to the medium. Or, to be more precise, ’m already too deep inside Western comics to appreciate the literary and visual conven- tions of manga. Comics produced in the United States and Canada are also guilty of presenting women with larger-than-life proportions, so I can’t rely on the “two- wrongs-make-a-right” argument. Simply accusing one convention of poor taste while I bask in the similar kinds of misrep- resentations is just dumb. During my conversation with Eng I was surprised to learn that most manga readers in North America are female. A popular genre targeted towards women is shoujo, or dramas consisting of high-school students embroiled in romantic entanglements, characterized by thinner lines, larger eyes, and effeminate boys. The girls in these sto- ties have adventures that, although focused on pursuing the male love interest, will often involve self-discovery and defending friends and family. And manga is a diverse medium. Sports, science fiction, horror, and even kids stories are out there. Superheroes are not prolific in Japan, although some publishers will put out remakes of Spider-Man or X-Men. Giant robots fill the super-hero void, and women in those stories tend to be strong charac- ters rather than wallflowers. Like the majority of comic-book artists, men dominate the manga scene. However, the Clamp Collective is an impressive enti- ty, comprised entirely of women producing the comics they want to see on the market. One of Japan’s most revered cartoonists is Rumiko Takahashi, creator of Ranma 1/2, a story about a male martial artist who transforms into a girl whenever he comes into contact with cold water. As far as trying to get my head around the visual vocabulary within manga, read- ets like me should just get over themselves. If I learned to deal with reality shows, then huge eyes and tiny noses shouldn’t be that big a deal. From the surface, manga may not seem to have that much to offer, but then, most non-comic readers see Western comics with the same bias. It wasn’t until I peered into the medium, that I saw manga’s inherant richness. Now that I’ve wasted some paper enthralling you with my future reading, let’s all enjoy a little of the past. The Adventures of Paul Michel Rabagliati is a Montreal native who wrote and illustrated the very charming The Adventures of Paul (Drawn and Quarterly). These stories centre on a childhood and early adulthood in Montreal during the ’70s and ’80s. Think Comethus without the punk rock. His illustrations remind me of those old commercials where a cartoon profes- sor-type explains how you should cower under your desk if nuclear missiles are screaming towards your town. Prisoners of Gravity I used to watch this show with religious fervour at one time. A TVOntario classic, this half-hour show usually played late at night, treating viewers to interviews with science-fiction writers and comic-book artists. Hosted by Rick Green, who sport- ed a wrinkled leather jacket and talked to pre-recorded interviews with his guests within the interior of a space station. There were 139 episodes and the show won a few awards and honourable men- tions. Not too shabby, Mr. Green. Fondest memory: Clive Barker coolly discussing horror literature while waving around a monstrous cigar. Hey Clive, those Hel//raiser comics sucked! www.theotherpress.ca | 11 Sai ae _— Loren eee ee